Chapter 10

She had been his and he had lost her, and all because of ill-spoken words and her misunderstanding.

"If I had your heart before, is there any chance that I might one day win it back?"

A tear slipped down her cheek and Bethany swiped it away, but she said nothing.

It was too late.

Bethany glanced down. "I am not so certain I ever got it back. I have tried to reclaim it these past two years, but it will not return to me."

Relief coursed through him.

"What of you, Your Grace?" Bethany asked. "Where is your heart?"

He shook his head and got up from the bed and walked toward her. "My heart has always been with you, and I gave up ever seeing it again."

"Are you speaking the truth, or are you telling me something that you hope will appease my reluctance if we are forced to wed?"

Was it possible that she mistrusted the motivations of others as much as he did? "I would not lie to you, Bethany, not about something so important."

"I am sorry for pushing you in the Serpentine."

"It was deserved," he admitted. Leopold never should have spoken cruelly about the other misses, even if they were quite silly.

"You also should be resting in bed," she said with a smile. "Have you no modesty."

"Not when I finally may have a chance to kiss you."

Bethany gasped and looked up at him and Leopold sat beside her on the settee then brushed his lips against hers.

It was not enough. Leopold anchored his hand behind her head, angled his and kissed her again and when Bethany sighed, he plunged. The deeper the kiss, the more he desired, especially when Bethany grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him closer.

It would be so easy to seduce her right now, and Leopold wanted to dearly, but they'd not spoken words of love nor accepted that they would wed, just that they held each other's heart.

With those thoughts, he pulled away.

When he looked at her, Bethany glanced away shyly.

"I will now rest, as you have ordered."

Leopold stood and walked back to the bed and when he turned to face Bethany, she looked over his body and frowned once again.

Blast! His blanket was open. He had not meant for that to happen again.

He was also concerned by her frown. What did she not like? Further, he was fully aroused, and she appeared disappointed.

If she was disappointed in what she saw of him, what had she seen before?

It was a thought he no longer wished to consider and crawled back under the covers and hoped that he did not turn out to be a disappointment to his future wife.

That was the most wonderful kiss. Not that Bethany had anything to compare it to, but she was certain that nobody kissed as well as Claybrook.

With a contented sigh, she gathered the breakfast dishes and returned them to the tray.

It was likely he'd fall back asleep as whenever Claybrook exerted the slightest bit of effort, he needed to sleep again, which was to be expected. At least it would allow her to ponder her future.

"I will take these downstairs and return shortly," she announced, then quit the room.

Claybrook claimed she held his heart, but was that the same as love to him?

Bethany loved him, but hadn't said the words, nor would she until she heard them from his lips.

At least she knew that he cared, and always had, and if they had only been given a chance to discuss and likely fight about his stupid rules that day, they may have then courted.

Except he had left town, then his brother died, and then his brothers-in-law had killed each other in a duel. No wonder he hadn't been well-received in London the following spring, but she had been just as guilty.

Oh, why hadn't anyone ever told her that he had called?

Not that it mattered now because they both knew where they had erred, but so many months may not have been wasted had she only been at home or had known that he wished to speak with her.

It was as if the fates were against them, which sent a chill down her spine.

Were they not meant to be together?

Except fate had put him in her path so maybe that hadn't meant to be until now.

After giving the servant the tray, Bethany was interrupted with a delivery for Claybrook. If she could judge by the softness within the brown paper, then the constable had sent clothing as he promised.

Claybrook would be relieved to have something to wear, and she should be as well, but she rather liked looking at him relaxed on the bed, the covers low enough that she could view his chest, and she'd been quite interested when he'd accidentally let the blanket open completely.

Her cheeks were burning at the memories, and she quickly put those images from her mind, though she also would not likely forget. She purchased one of the papers that had just arrived by mail coach from London and then in an instant, she rushed up the stairs. Clutching the newssheet, she burst through the door to the room she shared with Claybrook. "It is Christmas Eve! How is it Christmas Eve already?" How had she lost track of time?

It was then that she noticed him standing by the bed, again, naked as the day he was born.

Bethany couldn't help but take in the sight of him, from the top of his head to his toes and that most interesting part of his anatomy, that seemed to forever change, and she could not understand.